TSA needs to strengthen the process it uses to conduct security threat assessments for individuals requesting unescorted access to secure areas, GAO has said.
It said performance data from TSA’s Adjudication Center show mixed results, the center’s performance measurement practices have limitations, and its timeliness and accuracy measures did not capture key data.
According to TSA officials, the Adjudication Center’s accuracy rate is based on a review of all cases where adjudicators had disqualified an applicant.
However, this calculation generally does not include the accuracy rate for those applicants adjudicators had approved, which account for roughly 90 percent of the center’s caseload, according to GAO-13-629.
It said that in this way, the accuracy rate provides a limited assessment of adjudicator performance.
TSA agreed with recommendations including to direct the Adjudication Center to calculate an accuracy rate that includes adjudicator performance for cases where applicants were both approved and disqualified, share adjudicator staffing plans among key program offices, and update the center’s workforce conversion plan and provide it to DHS for review and approval.
